EF5
The Ensemble Framework For Flash Flood Forecasting (EF5)
EF5 is a hydrologic modeling platform used in research and operational hydrologic forecasting
developed by researchers at The University of Oklahoma and NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory.
Dr. Vergara is one of the main developers of this software, and played a key role in its implementation on the NOAA/NWS Flooded Locations And Simulated Hydrographs (FLASH) system. AHWA researchers routinely use EF5 for hydrologic simulation activities, and are actively contributing to the development of new capabilities for advanced numerical modeling for flood and flash flood forecasting.
EF5's paper published on online library of Copernicus' Geoscientific Model Development
EF5's paper was officially published on October 16, 2020. The paper describes EF5's structure and presents a study of its implementation over the Continental United States.
Here is how to cite EF5:
Flamig, Z. L., Vergara, H., and Gourley, J. J.: The Ensemble Framework For Flash Flood Forecasting (EF5) v1.2: description and case study, Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 4943–4958, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-4943-2020, 2020.
More than a hydrologic model
EF5 is not a single hydrologic model – it is a framework for hydrologic modeling
Multiple model cores and physics schemes are possible
Scalable to different resolutions
EF5 can forecast the entire continuum of floods
You can learn EF5 on your own
Material is available for self-paced training to get you going with EF5.
Check out EF5's videos in its YouTube Channel.
Getting started with EF5
EF5 is open-source and can be run in Windows, MacOS and Linux. Get Started by downloading the source code (MacOS/Linux) or pre-compiled executable (Windows).
Containerized version of EF5
Recent work has been done to containerized EF5 using Docker. You can find details and instructions following: